Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces

Pick Up The Pieces was the first of many big hits for the Scottish funk and soul sensation Average White Band, the song off their second album soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100's in 1975. The song's title also describes how the band was able to move forward after their troubled start. The bands 1973 debut got little attention, and they had moved to L.A. to produce a second album AWB, which was released in Aug 1974. Pick Up The Pieces had been released the previous month in the UK but hadn't much attention. A month after AWB was released drummer/founding member Robbie McIntosh died of a heroin overdose at a L.A. party. Alan Gorrie, also a founding member, overdosed at the same party survived - Cher was credited with helping to keep him conscious until the medics arrived. The surviving band members picked up the pieces and recorded a very successful third album Cut The Cake - which they dedicated to McIntosh.